Shadowwalker - Under Review For Now

20. Raiders

Amber's first instinct was to freeze, but the next she fought like a wild cat.

She thrashed, trying to kick out at her attacker behind her, flailing with her arms as she tried to push the bag off, tear it open, and scratch her attacker.

Her left wrist was grabbed first, and then twisted painfully so that she was caught off-balance. Her other arm was grabbed next, fingers digging into her skin with such strength that she knew it was sure to leave her bruised for days. She was roughly tackled to the ground and pinned down, the wind forced out of her lungs- leaving her breathless.

She heard voices snarling, but in the chaos, she was unable to distinguish what was being said. Her hands were roughly tied behind her back, the coarse rope tightly binding her wrists together. She squirmed, and tried to hold her wrists at an angle to create some room- but whoever was holding her knew their job too well, yanking them straight. She let out a soft whimper.

Amber then tried to scream, but the moment she tried, her attackers instantly kicked her in the ribs. "Silence," a male voice ordered her. Her jaw instantly snapped shut, and her vocal cords simply refused to function. She shuddered at the realisation that, whoever had captured her, included an awfully powerful Talented.

For the first time since the moons know when, she felt trapped. She felt frustrated, no- aggravated, at the feeling of such utter helplessness, at her inability to do anything at all about her situation.

She sensed a familiar white hot sensation behind her eyelids, the temperature inside of her building as she struggled to regain control. 'Why control it,' a voice inside her spoke, 'when letting go gives one such utter satisfaction? Come on.. You're not actually helpless, not if you just let loose...'

Doubt clouded her mind as she weighed the cost of letting everything go, of letting herself go wild versus simply giving up and allowing herself to be captured. In the end, her decision wasn't hers to make as she wasted too much time mentally arguing with herself, and not enough time restraining herself. She lost control.

The men holding who were holding Amber dropped her in shock as she lost the ability to reign it in, and she grinned with the vicious knowledge that in mere moments they would be at the her mercy. A red haze entered her mind, one behind which everything was okay, she was safe, and nothing she did would get a backlash from. Gone was the loving girl who cried over the death of an innocent- in her place, a madwoman who cared for nobody, and who found amusement in the suffering, the pain, torture and fear of others.

She tasted the fire on her lips, and slowly the Talented's Order melted from them. Whilst her sight was still hindered by a bag over her head, she could sort of.. see by sensing the temperatures around her.

Amber gave a cry of shock when an icy cold voice interrupted her.
"Amber, you mustn't do this- you know that i cannot allow you to act this recklessly!"
Amber mentally stuck out her tongue.
"Can't do no nothing to stop me, Raven!" she retorted giddily.

Suddenly, her insides felt cold. A layer of frost covered her heated inners, cooling her down.

She shrieked, throwing her heat out, causing the men to take another step back.

"Give up, Amber- I don't want to do this! I know you don't want this either!"

She didn't listen, instead focussing on warming up reservoirs she had all but forgotten she had.

Out of nowwhere, ice cold pain blossomed in her temples. She doubled over, trying to clutch her head yet failing, for her wrists were still tied behind her.

"I'm sorry..." Raven whispered, and the world turned black.

***

Half a day later, she awoke- her limbs feeling stiff and her mind exhausted.
Amber blinked several times, trying to feel where Raven was- she felt horrible, it must have taken her all her energy to make her pass out. If only Raven had been stronger....

She looked around.

Somehow, someone had saved her, returning her to her room in The Dirty Rag.

She was alone, but not in her usual room. This one was smaller, with cream walls, the only lightsource being a slightly small, round window.

There was a chest of drawers that doubled as a bedside table, with on top of it a washbowl filled to the brim with water and a soapstone next to it, a glass of milk and some bread.

She rose, groaning as she moved her sore muscles.

The door opened, and she froze.

Venarius looked at her. He leaned against the doorpost, his hands in his pockets, legs crossed at the ankles and a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"Amber Firestone.... Nice name- but I know who you really are."
He held up a book. Fairly small, leatherbound with no title, her heart skipped a beat as she recognised it.

"And seeing as I saved you earlier from those rogue Enforcers, you owe me one."

Amber hesitated, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "What do you want," she asked, a strange feeling settling over her.

A pause.

He walked closer to her, and then crouched by the side of her bed so he was at eyelevel for her.

Unsettled green eyes met confident electric blue.

"I want you to join the Raiders."